


alone in the dark

by blacksatinpointeshoes



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, I'm Sorry, References to Depression, Robbie is kind of a mess, They talk it out, Working Out My Feelings Through Fic, i have no idea what this is, inspired by biluata (tumblr), references to 'meet me halfway', space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 10:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12839070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacksatinpointeshoes/pseuds/blacksatinpointeshoes
Summary: Space. And, uh... feelings. Maybe.





	alone in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> I have NO CLUE what this is but I hope you like it!

“Are you –”

“No.”

“Do you want me to –”

_“No.”_

“Robbie, come on –”

“I’m fine.”

“You just –”

“I’ll _be_ fine.”

Daisy sits down next to him heavily, reaching out to touch Robbie’s shoulder. He stiffens but lets her, glancing away. “You’re not _fine,_ Robbie.”

“Yeah, and you would know.”

“I would, actually. You know all about what I did to try and prove I was fine. And it never worked, you know? Not once. Because I was running from the people who wanted to help me.”

“And straight into my arms, eh?”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

Silence. “Maybe we’re cursed, Daisy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we’re sitting on a space station watching floating rocks go by and trying not to get eaten by aliens is what I mean.” The pause stretches longer. “Are you laughing?”

“Reminds me of Fitzsimmons, is all. They’re still kicking.”

“So are you.”

“So are _we.”_

“I’m not sure.”

“Robbie…” Her voice trails off into nothing, her arm holding him tighter, her presence more intoxicating the closer she gets. “You’re the most alive person I’ve ever met.”

“Kinda wish I wasn’t sometimes, you know?”

“Robbie.”

“No, uh – that wasn’t what – that I’m working on. But with the Rider all I’ll be is alive for a damn long time. Not something I’m shedding anytime soon.”

“I thought when the score was settled –”

“I made a new deal.”

A pause, longer this time. Robbie’s heart leaps into his throat and thuds frantically behind his mouth, aching to take the reins. “Why?” Daisy asks finally. “What for?”

“Mack.” It’s the first time Robbie has discussed the terms and conditions of this new and eternal agreement with the spirit of vengeance. Daisy understands instantly.

“The warehouse. The Rider was talking to you.”

“I thought I was going to die,” Robbie admits. “I thought I could take him down to wherever we were going and let him die with me, you know? Die knowing I did something right.”

“You’ve done a lot that’s right, Robbie.”

His breath snags. “No. Eli, when he – when I was in that thing, he said being a killer must run in the family. Here I was judging him when I have the night job –”

“That’s not _you,_ Robbie –”

“But what if it is?” His voice is almost desperate. “What if that’s who I am? What if I’m just a killer, Daisy, what if I’m –”

Silence. Chest-heaving, gleaming, weighted, silence. “What if I’m the monster I’ve been trying to get rid of all along?”

Robbie’s words are thick, pained. Daisy scoots closer to him, her legs pressing against his. “It’s not,” she says. “Because I know you, Robbie Reyes. And you have one of the kindest hearts I’ve ever seen.”

“You just have to say that because we’re in space and I’m having a moral crisis.”

“No.”

“Huh.”

“I’m saying it because it’s true.”

“This is so damn cliché –”

“I’m saying it,” Daisy continues, because she doesn’t care, “because of _you._ Because it’s _that_ heart that kept you from killing me, because when I said let me _die_ you saved me, because we’ve been through _hell_ together and we’re in fucking space and you know what I don’t care if you think it’s cliché because I have never meant anything more.”

A beat. “Did you even breathe during that?”

“Did you miss the part where I was being nice to you?”

“I’m so fucking done with space, man.”

“Why exactly?”

“Aside from the aliens?”

“I thought that was a given.”

“Aside from the aliens, I’m stuck here talking about my feelings.”

“You started it.”

“Wasn’t my finest moment.”

“It’s something that needs to be talked about.”

“Are you turning around my tactics on me? From that time we hung out in the middle of the night?”

“If by ‘hung out’ you mean I found you cold medicine and you repaid me by listening to me talk about my trauma, then yeah.”

“Shit, girl.”

“I would say I learned from the best but you really need to step up your game.”

“You want me to talk?” Robbie looks her straight in the eyes, his voice low and unbearably husky. “Fine. I’ve been to hell twice, the Ghost Rider fucked with my head, and now I am _literally_ in space and it’s all shitty. I made a deal with no loopholes and I’ve got forever to be possessed by this thing and I _can’t do it,_ Daisy, I _can’t –”_

“Wait,” she murmurs. “Forever?”

“Forever.”

“How?”

“I told him if he gave up Mack, in exchange for Eli, I’d settle his scores.”

“Weren’t you already…?”

“All of his.”

More silence.

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah.”

“Robbie, how –”

“Mack didn’t deserve that.”

“And you _do?”_

“The Ghost Rider is _my_ burden –”

“But –”

“And _I_ had to do something about it, alright? I wasn’t going to let him control Mack. The whole mess was my responsibility.”

“You barely knew Mack then.”

“Didn’t matter. I told you, it was my shit to take care of. Now you’re making me feel bad, which sucks, because I’m still the one damned for eternity.”

Daisy inhales sharply.  
“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” A pause. “We just never said thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for.”

“You gave up your _life_ for Mack, Robbie, don’t you see that –”

“Don’t. Don’t thank me. I’m not a hero. I’m not as good as you seem to think that I am –”

“But you _are –”_

“Stop.” Robbie is curled in on himself, shoulders shaking. “Stop making it seem like I’m something to be celebrated. Everywhere I go I bring death and that’s all. I’ve made my peace with it. Don’t try to convince me that this is something it is not.”

Daisy’s voice is velvet soft. “I’m not talking about him, Robbie. I’m talking about you.”

“I don’t know if there’s a difference anymore.”

“I don’t love the Rider. There’s a difference.”

Silence. “Daisy, what are you –”

“You’re smart.”

“You…”

“I love you, Robbie.”

It feels like the world has opened.

“Daisy, I…”

“No. You don’t have to say it back.”

The words are thick in his mouth. “You know that I…”

“Of course I do. Because I know _you._ You seem to keep forgetting that.” Daisy rubs little circles on his back, her fingers tracing the knobs of his spine. He shudders at her touch, whole body taught with wariness at their conversation and even his own openness. “Can I…?”

“Go ahead.”

She wraps her arms around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay to cry, you know,” she whispers.

Robbie crumbles. This had been building for a long time, pressure behind every word, every strike as the Rider, every single action. Robbie is just so damn _tired._ He falls apart in the vacuum of space, a million little pieces flying in a million different ways.

Love catches them every time.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, I love comments and kudos ;) come chat with me over on tumblr at thoughtsbubble!


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